Fresh Hillsborough Bay Fishing Reports

This crew caught a ton of fish today! They made some grear cast, kept thier lines tight all trip!

The bite is good!!!!

I always say, “Fish are Fickle.” That’s particularly true this time of year with the advent of a passing cold front every three to four days. One day the fish are active, the next day lethargic. After a cold front, even when I take the time to catch scaled sardines before picking up my charter clients the fish barely responded to them. Fortunately, I always stop on my way to the boat ramp and buy some live shrimp for a backup. Having those shrimp aboard usually saves the day. At times like these, turning shrimp can make all the difference in the world. These hardy baits are appealing to game fish even when bait fish become scarce, dramatically increasing your chances of a successful catch. Shrimp are known as the “Sara Lee” of baits. “Nobody doesn’t like a Sara Lee.” Snook, redfish, seatrout, sheepshead, and more love them. I could go on and on, but you get the picture. Not to sound like “Bubba” from the movie Forrest Gump, but you can catch fish with live shrimp, dead shrimp, frozen shrimp, or pieces of shrimp. “That’s, that’s about it!” Additionally, crustaceans like shrimp are not only versatile but also resilient in colder water conditions, which makes them a reliable choice when other baits fail. Their natural scent and movement attract a wide variety of species, ensuring that anglers have a dependable option throughout fluctuating water temperatures. If you like to fish with artificials or flies, shrimp imitations are the perfect cold weather bait. When making a presentation, the key to success is to work the fake bait slowly. I always remind people, “if you think you’re working it slow enough, slow it down even more.” Also, remember the fish you’re after are most likely in deep water, so let the bait sink before working it back to the boat. For you fly anglers, it’s best to use a sinking tip fly line to help keep the bait down in the water column. Although, the sheepshead spawn doesn’t occur until late winter to early spring, primarily from February through April, they’re becoming more active. Cold water temperatures really turn sheepshead on, and they start to school up. As we move into the latter part of January, you’ll encounter more schools and larger specimens. Key areas to target are rocky structures, bridge pilings, and docks where sheepshead tend to congregate during these colder months. Using shrimp around these areas can yield impressive results, especially as the fish grow more aggressive in anticipation of the spawning season. Patience and persistence are key, as sheepshead can be notorious bait stealers, but the payoff is well worth the effort. As for terminal tackle, the lighter the better. When fishing during colder periods, it’s also beneficial to downsize. Due to the lack of rain, the water clarity is excellent in most of Tampa Bay right now. For that reason, I’ll drop down to 20lb. fluorocarbon leader and a 1/0 hook, especially when targeting sheepshead. Lighter lines and smaller hooks can help present crustacean baits more naturally, leading to more strikes from wary fish. Adjust your approach based on water clarity and current conditions for the best results. When fishing structure where additional weight is needed, I’ll add just enough split shot to get the shrimp down to the fish. Afishionado, “Adventures in Fishing.”

As the water gets colder a whole new batch of fish make their way into tampabay and nearshore Gulf waters. Inshore we have good redfish on the flats with some big black drumm on the bridges and some sheepshead and seatrout for fish tacos. Nearshore we have cobia, snapper, sharks and barracuda on the reefs. Some hogfish and pompano have been getting thrown into the mix as well. If youd like to try a battle against a shark. We have plenty of those as well!

Some of the best fishing of the year is here as these fish begin to put on the feed bag preparing for winter!

Let’s get after it bites too good to be home!